Exercising monocycle

ABSTRACT

An exercising monocycle includes a main body provided with a seat so that a user may be seated on the seat to ride the exercising monocycle, a main frame secured on the main body, a main shaft rotatably mounted in the main frame, an acceleration mechanism driven by the main shaft to output an acceleration power, and a magnetic control mechanism mounted in the main frame. The magnetic control mechanism includes a flywheel for receiving the acceleration power output from the acceleration mechanism, and a damping device for increasing a resistance applied on rotation of the flywheel, and the acceleration mechanism being surrounded by the flywheel. Thus, the exercising monocycle has a smaller volume and occupies a smaller space.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to an exercising monocycle, andmore particularly to an exercising monocycle which has a smaller volumeand occupies a smaller space.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] A conventional exercising bicycle in accordance with the priorart shown in FIG. 7 comprises main frame 60, a drive sprocket 61 drivenand rotated by pedals 63, a driven sprocket 64 driven and rotated by thedrive sprocket 61 by a chain 65, a flywheel 62 mounted on the drivensprocket 64, and a damping device 66 mounted on the flywheel 62.

[0005] However, the conventional exercising bicycle in accordance withthe prior art has the following disadvantages.

[0006] 1. The drive sprocket 61 is spaced from the driven sprocket 64with a determined distance, so that the conventional exercising bicyclehas a larger volume, thereby occupying a larger space.

[0007] 2. The acceleration effect of the conventional exercising bicycleis achieved by the radius ratio between the drive sprocket 61 and thedriven sprocket 64. However, the radius ratio between the drive sprocket61 and the driven sprocket 64 is limited by the size of the drivesprocket 61 and the driven sprocket 64, so that the acceleration effectof the conventional exercising bicycle is not sufficient.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate thedisadvantage of the conventional exercising bicycle.

[0009] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide anexercising monocycle, wherein the main shaft of the power input and theflywheel of the power output are arranged in the main frame, so as toform a single-wheel type structure, thereby greatly reducing the volumeof the exercising monocycle, so that the exercising monocycle occupies asmaller space.

[0010] Another objective of the present invention is to provide anexercising monocycle, wherein the acceleration mechanism includesmultiple gears that may co-operate with each other, and the transmissionratio of the gears is not limited by the space and the wheel radius, soas to obtain a higher transmission ratio, thereby increasing theexercising effect.

[0011] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided anexercising monocycle, comprising:

[0012] a main body, provided with a seat so that a user may be seated onthe seat to ride the exercising monocycle;

[0013] a main frame, secured on the main body;

[0014] a main shaft, rotatably mounted in the main frame;

[0015] an acceleration mechanism, mounted in the main frame, and drivenby the main shaft, to output an acceleration power; and

[0016] a magnetic control mechanism, mounted in the main frame, andincludes a flywheel for receiving the acceleration power output from theacceleration mechanism, and a damping device for increasing a resistanceapplied on rotation of the flywheel, and the acceleration mechanismbeing surrounded by the flywheel.

[0017] Further benefits and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent after a careful reading of the detailed description withappropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018]FIG. 1 is a side plan view of an exercising monocycle inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an exercising monocyclein accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 2A is a perspective view of a flywheel of an exercisingmonocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0021]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an exercising monocycle inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0022]FIG. 4 is a side plan cross-sectional assembly view of theexercising monocycle as shown in FIG. 3;

[0023]FIG. 5 is a front plan cross-sectional assembly view of theexercising monocycle as shown in FIG. 3;

[0024]FIG. 6 is a schematic operational view of the exercising monocycleas shown in FIG. 5 in use; and

[0025]FIG. 7 is a side plan view of a conventional exercising bicycle inaccordance with the prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] Referring to the drawings and initially to FIGS. 1-5, anexercising monocycle in accordance with a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention comprises a main body 1, a main frame 10, a main shaft20, an acceleration mechanism 30, and a magnetic control mechanism 40.

[0027] The main body 1 is provided with a seat 1′ so that the user maybe seated on the seat 1′ to ride the exercising monocycle.

[0028] The main frame 10 is a substantially U-shaped frame that issecured on the main body 1. The main frame 10 includes a bottom plate 12secured on the main body 1, and two opposite fixing plates 11.Preferably, the bottom plate 12 is integrally formed with the twoopposite fixing plates 11. Each of the two opposite fixing plates 11 isprovided with a bearing 13. One of the two opposite fixing plates 11 isprotruded with two opposite support plates 14.

[0029] The main shaft 20 is rotatably mounted in the bearing 13 of eachof the two opposite fixing plates 11, and has two ends each protrudedoutward from each of the two opposite fixing plates 11 and each securedwith a crank 21 which has a pedal 22, so that the main shaft 20 may berotated through the cranks 21 by stepping the pedals 22.

[0030] The acceleration mechanism 30 is mounted in the main frame 10,and is driven by the main shaft 20, to output an acceleration power.

[0031] The magnetic control mechanism 40 is mounted in the main frame10, and includes a flywheel 41 for receiving the acceleration poweroutput from the acceleration mechanism 30, and a damping device 45 forincreasing the resistance of the entire system. Preferably, theacceleration mechanism 30 is mounted in the flywheel 41, and the dampingdevice 45 is a magnetic type damping device.

[0032] Thus, the user may be seated on the seat 1′ to tread the pedals22, thereby driving the main shaft 20 to rotate. Then, the accelerationmechanism 30 may be driven by rotation of the main shaft 20 to output anacceleration power to accelerate rotation of the flywheel 41. Therotation of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the resistance of thedamping device 45, so that the user has to provide a treading force toovercome the resistance of the damping device 45, thereby obtaining anexercising effect.

[0033] The acceleration mechanism 30 includes a drive gear 31 secured onand rotated by the main shaft 20, and a driven gear 32 rotatably mountedon the main shaft 20. A single direction bearing 320 is mounted on oneside of the driven gear 32. The acceleration mechanism 30 furtherincludes a support shaft 33 mounted on the main frame 10 and is parallelwith the main shaft 20, and a composite gear 34 rotatably mounted on thesupport shaft 33. The composite gear 34 includes a smaller gear 340meshing with the drive gear 31, and a larger gear 341 meshing with thedriven gear 32. Preferably, the drive gear 31 has sixty teeth, thedriven gear 32 has twenty teeth, the larger gear 341 has sixty teeth,and the smaller gear 340 has twenty teeth, thereby obtaining the optimumrotation ratio of 1:9.

[0034] The flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 is mountedon the single direction bearing 320 that is mounted on one side of thedriven gear 32. The flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 isformed with an annular flange 42 which has an inner wall provided with ametallic layer 43.

[0035] The flywheel 41 of the magnetic control mechanism 40 has asurface formed with multiple through holes 44 each having one sideprotruded with an air guide plate 440 for introducing the ambient colderair through the through holes 44 into the system when the flywheel 41 isrotated, and for carrying the heat produced by the magnetic resistanceout of the system through the through holes 44 when the flywheel 41 isrotated, thereby achieving the heatsink effect.

[0036] The damping device 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40includes two opposite support plates 46 each provided with multiplemagnetic blocks 460 which are spaced from the flange 42 of the flywheel41 with a determined distance. Each of the two opposite support plates46 has a first end formed with a pivot end 461 and a second end formedwith a free end 462. The damping device 45 of the magnetic controlmechanism 40 includes two pivot shafts 47 each extended through thepivot end 461 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 and eachsecured on each of the support plates 14 of the fixing plate 11 of themain frame 10, so that the free end 462 of each of the two oppositesupport plates 46 may be pivoted about the pivot shaft 47.

[0037] Thus, the user may be seated on the seat 1′ to tread the pedals22, thereby driving the main shaft 20 to rotate, thereby rotating thedrive gear 31 which rotates the smaller gear 340 which rotates thelarger gear 341 which rotates the driven gear 32 which rotates thesingle direction bearing 320 which rotates the flywheel 41.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 5, when the flywheel 41 is rotated, themetallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the magnetic forceof the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46. Thus,the rotation of the flywheel 41 is subjected to the resistance of thedamping device 45, so that the user has to provide a treading force toovercome the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic force of themagnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 of the dampingdevice 45 of the magnetic control mechanism 40, thereby obtaining anexercising effect.

[0039] In general, the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of thesupport plates 46 of the damping device 45 of the magnetic controlmechanism 40 may be changed, to change the magnetic resistance producedby the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460, so as to determine andchange the user's exercising strength, that is, the range of consumptionof the user's physical energy.

[0040] The exercising monocycle in accordance with a preferredembodiment of the present invention further comprises an adjustingdevice 50 for adjusting the distance between the metallic layer 43 ofthe flywheel 41 and the magnetic blocks 460 of the two opposite supportplates 46, so as to change the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460of the support plates 46 of the damping device 45 of the magneticcontrol mechanism 40.

[0041] The adjusting device 50 includes a seat plate 51, a control rod52, a guide wheel 54, two control wires 55, and two elastic members 56.

[0042] The seat plate 51 is secured on an upper portion of one of thetwo fixing plates 11 of the main frame 10, and is formed with a throughhole 510, and multiple positioning recesses 511 surrounding the throughhole 510.

[0043] The control rod 52 is passed through the through hole 510 of theseat plate 51, and has an upper section secured with a rotary knob 520,a mediate section provided with a positioning block 53, and a lowersection extended into the main frame 10 and secured with a fixing block521. The positioning block 53 has a bottom formed with a chamber 530 forreceiving a compression spring 531 and a positioning ball 532 that maybe locked in one of the multiple positioning recesses 511 of the seatplate 51, thereby providing a temporary positioning effect when therotary knob 520 is rotated.

[0044] The guide wheel 54 is mounted on the seat plate 51, and islocated adjacent to the fixing block 521 of the control rod 52. Theguide wheel 54 has a periphery formed with multiple grooves 540.

[0045] Each of the two control wires 55 has a first end secured on thefree end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 and a secondend reeved through the grooves 540 of the guide wheel 54 and secured onthe fixing block 521 of the control rod 52.

[0046] Each of the two elastic members 56 has a first end secured on theseat plate 51 and a second end secured on the free end 462 of each ofthe two opposite support plates 46.

[0047] When the rotary knob 520 is rotated, the control rod 52 may berotated to rotate the fixing block 521 which pulls the control wires 55through the guide wheel 54, so that the free end 462 of each of the twoopposite support plates 46 may be pulled and moved by each of the twocontrol wires 55 from the position as shown in FIG. 5 to the position asshown in FIG. 6, thereby increasing the distance between the magneticblocks 460 of the two opposite support plates 46 and the metallic layer43 of the flywheel 41, so that the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks460 of the two opposite support plates 46 on the metallic layer 43 ofthe flywheel 41 is decreased, and the magnetic resistance produced bythe magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 is decreased. Thus, theuser's exercising strength (or the range of consumption of the user'sphysical energy) is reduced.

[0048] On the contrary, when the rotary knob 520 is rotated reversely,the control rod 52 may be rotated to rotate the fixing block 521 whichreleases the control wires 55 through the guide wheel 54, so that thefree end 462 of each of the two opposite support plates 46 may be pushedby the restoring force of each of the two elastic member 56 to move fromthe position as shown in FIG. 6 to the position as shown in FIG. 5,thereby decreasing the distance between the magnetic blocks 460 of thetwo opposite support plates 46 and the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel41, so that the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks 460 of the twoopposite support plates 46 on the metallic layer 43 of the flywheel 41is increased, and the magnetic resistance produced by the magnetic forceof the magnetic blocks 460 is increased. Thus, the user's exercisingstrength (or the range of consumption of the user's physical energy) isincreased.

[0049] Accordingly, the exercising monocycle in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention has the followingadvantages.

[0050] 1. The main shaft 20 of the power input and the flywheel 41 ofthe power output are arranged in the main frame 10, so as to form asingle-wheel type structure, thereby greatly reducing the volume of theexercising monocycle, so that the exercising monocycle occupies asmaller space.

[0051] 2. The acceleration mechanism 30 includes multiple gears that mayco-operate with each other, and the transmission ratio of the gears isnot limited by the space and the wheel radius, so as to obtain a highertransmission ratio, thereby increasing the exercising effect.

[0052] Although the invention has been explained in relation to itspreferred embodiment as mentioned above, it is to be understood thatmany other possible modifications and variations can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention. It is, therefore,contemplated that the appended claim or claims will cover suchmodifications and variations that fall within the true scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An exercising monocycle, comprising: a main body,provided with a seat so that a user may be seated on the seat to ridethe exercising monocycle; a main frame, secured on the main body; a mainshaft, rotatably mounted in the main frame; an acceleration mechanism,mounted in the main frame, and driven by the main shaft, to output anacceleration power; and a magnetic control mechanism, mounted in themain frame, and includes a flywheel for receiving the acceleration poweroutput from the acceleration mechanism, and a damping device forincreasing a resistance applied on rotation of the flywheel, and theacceleration mechanism being surrounded by the flywheel.
 2. Theexercising monocycle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the main frameis a substantially U-shaped frame that includes two opposite fixingplates secured on the main body.
 3. The exercising monocycle inaccordance with claim 2, wherein the main frame includes a bottom platesecured on the main body and mounted between the two opposite fixingplates.
 4. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 2, whereinone of the two opposite fixing plates is protruded with two oppositesupport plates.
 5. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 2,wherein the main shaft is rotatably mounted in each of the two oppositefixing plates, and has two ends each protruded outward from each of thetwo opposite fixing plates and each secured with a crank which has apedal, so that the main shaft may be rotated through the cranks bystepping the pedals.
 6. The exercising monocycle in accordance withclaim 1, wherein the acceleration mechanism includes: a drive gearsecured on and rotated by the main shaft; a driven gear rotatablymounted on the main shaft; a single direction bearing mounted on oneside of the driven gear; a support shaft mounted on the main frame andparallel with the main shaft; and a composite gear rotatably mounted onthe support shaft, and including a smaller gear meshing with the drivegear, and a larger gear meshing with the driven gear.
 7. The exercisingmonocycle in accordance with claim 6, wherein the drive gear has sixtyteeth, the driven gear has twenty teeth, the larger gear has sixtyteeth, and the smaller gear has twenty teeth, thereby obtaining anoptimum rotation ratio of 1:9.
 8. The exercising monocycle in accordancewith claim 6, wherein the flywheel of the magnetic control mechanism ismounted on the single direction bearing, and is formed with an annularflange which has an inner wall provided with a metallic layer.
 9. Theexercising monocycle in accordance with claim 1, wherein the flywheel ofthe magnetic control mechanism has a surface formed with multiplethrough holes each having one side protruded with an air guide plate.10. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 8, wherein thedamping device of the magnetic control mechanism includes two oppositesupport plates each provided with multiple magnetic blocks which arespaced from the flange of the flywheel with a determined distance. 11.The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 10, wherein each ofthe two opposite support plates has a first end formed with a pivot endand a second end formed with a free end, and the damping device of themagnetic control mechanism includes two pivot shafts each extendedthrough the pivot end of each of the two opposite support plates andeach secured on the main frame, so that the free end of each of the twoopposite support plates may be pivoted about the pivot shaft.
 12. Theexercising monocycle in accordance with claim 10, further comprising anadjusting device for adjusting the distance between the metallic layerof the flywheel and the magnetic blocks of the two opposite supportplates, so as to change the magnetic force of the magnetic blocks of thesupport plates of the damping device of the magnetic control mechanism.13. The exercising monocycle in accordance with claim 12, wherein theadjusting device includes a seat plate, a control rod, a guide wheel,two control wires, and two elastic members, wherein: the seat plate issecured on the main frame and formed with a through hole; the controlrod is passed through the through hole of the seat plate, and has anupper section secured with a rotary knob, a mediate section providedwith a positioning block, and a lower section extended into the mainframe and secured with a fixing block, the guide wheel is mounted on theseat plate, and is located adjacent to the fixing block of the controlrod, the guide wheel has a periphery formed with multiple grooves; eachof the two control wires has a first end secured on the free end of eachof the two opposite support plates and a second end reeved through thegrooves of the guide wheel and secured on the fixing block of thecontrol rod; and each of the two elastic members has a first end securedon the seat plate and a second end secured on the free end of each ofthe two opposite support plates.
 14. The exercising monocycle inaccordance with claim 12, wherein the seat plate is secured on the mainframe, and is formed with a through hole, and multiple positioningrecesses surrounding the through hole, and the positioning block has abottom formed with a chamber for receiving a compression spring and apositioning ball that may be locked in one of the multiple positioningrecesses of the seat plate, thereby providing a temporary positioningeffect when the rotary knob is rotated.